The Competitive Edge + Good Design = Good Results

This coming month is a very busy month at de Fiddes Design with finishing a number of exciting projects and travelling overseas to conferences and meetings. Debbie is off to Las Vegas this week to speak at the Environments for Aging Conference and mid-March, Debbie and Erin are travelling to China with our Hong Kong client to look at new products. We look forward to hearing some interesting stories!

At the end of March, Debbie is also presenting at the ACSWA State Conference on 'The Competitive Edge + Good Design = Good Results'.

Currently in the aged care industry, there a great deal of talk on how providers will operate in new, more competitive markets and what will be the future of aged care. Good design plays a critical role in helping to deliver your brand. Debbie will be discussing how good design can have an impact from that vital first impression and how important it is to maintain thoughtful design throughout a facility.

In marketing, much is made mention of the Halo Effect, which by definition, is a cognitive bias in which an observer’s feelings and thoughts are formed about that entities character or properties. These can work in either a positive or a negative direction. If the observer likes what they see, they will have a positive predisposition toward everything about it. If the observer dislikes one aspect it will have the opposite effect. This emphasises why the lead up to, and the entrance of, a facility is vitally important.

We know that most designs are geared towards impressing the relatives but in reality that can be a mistake. Many facilities are now being designed to look like upmarket hotels - a style that definitely appeals to the relatives - but does it mean that the residents moving in will feel comfortable in their new surroundings? Ultimately it could mean that the residents don’t stay for very long.

Keeping both the relatives and residents happy is the ultimate goal and can easily be achieved by addressing the design in different ways. Public areas incorporating reception, café, private dining, hairdresser and spa can appeal to the relatives. Private resident areas need to be designed as supportive environments therefore elements such as colour, contrast, wayfinding, appropriate furniture, sensory design need to be considered throughout the design process.

This - and whole lot more - will be the theme of Debbie’s presentation and she looks forward to seeing you at the Conference.